Gerard Way
Gerard Arthur Way (April 9, 1977 - July 10th, 2008) is an American musician who serves as the frontman, lead vocalist and co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance. He is the elder brother of the band's bass player, Mikey Way. Way resided in West New York, New Jersey.Gerard Way photo, The New York Times Agency, October 19, 2007. Caption: "Gerard Way, lead singer of My Chemical Romance, near his home in West New York, N.J., on Sept. 24, 2007." Background Gerard Way was born in Newark, New Jersey1 to Donald and Donna Lee Way. He was raised in Belleville, New Jerseyand first began singing in fourth grade, when he played the part of Peter Pan in a school production. His maternal grandmother, Elena Lee Rush, was a great creative influence who taught him to sing, paint, and perform. He has referred to her in interviews, quoting that "She has taught me everything I know".2 When he was 15, Gerard was held up at gun point. He stated in a Rolling Stones article: "I got held up with a .357 Magnum, I had a gun pointed to my head and was put on the floor, execution-style." The incident did not, however, impinge on his views of the world. He went on to say that "no matter how ugly the world gets or how stupid it shows me it is, I always have faith."3 Death On Thursday, July 10, 2008, Gerard Way was killed in a car crash near his home in New Jersey. Way was treated on the scene but died from his injuries in transit to the hospital. Local reports indicate that a truck lost control and swung across the road into the oncoming traffic. Education Gerard Way attended Belleville High School.He graduated in 1995. Chasing a career in the comic-book industry4 he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1999.52 Personal life On September 3, 2007 after a show in Colorado, Gerard married Lyn-Z of Mindless Self Indulgence.6 The pair tied the knot following the final date of Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution tour.A member of tour promoter Live Nation's staff (who is also an ordained minister)performed the low-key ceremony. Gerard and MTV confirmed the event.7 Career and Music Way was working in the comic-book industry in New York during September 2001. Way's views were changed dramatically that month. He told Spin magazine, "I literally said to myself, 'Fuck art. I’ve gotta get out of the basement. I’ve gotta see the world. I’ve gotta make a difference!'"8 Soon after, he formed the band My Chemical Romance. The September 11 attacks inspired the band's first song, "Skylines and Turnstiles" .9 Music has turned out to be an effective means for Way to deal with his long-time battles against depression, alcoholism and prescription and illegal drug use. This cathartic effect of music on Way led to his creation of deeply personal songs such as "Helena",10, which was written in memory of his grandmother. Way has recently established himself as comic-book writer, writing for the comic miniseries, The Umbrella Academy. The Umbrella Academy was first unleashed in the Dark Horse 2007 free comic book day issue on May 5.11 Since then, an eight-page story has been published on MySpace, entitled "Safe & Sound"12.The first official issue was released on September 19, 2007.13 Mass sales caused the first issue to sell out and there was a second printing on October 17, 2007.14